(2021-09) BINUH - Report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti

S United Nations /2021/828 Security Council Distr.: General 27 September 2021 Original: English United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti Report of the Secretary-General I. Introduction 1. The present report is submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 2547 (2020), by which the Council extended to 15 October 2021 the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), in accordance with Council resolution 2476 (2019), by which it established BINUH and requested me to report on the implementation of the resolution every 120 days. The report includes significant developments that have occurred since my previous report (S/2021/559) and provides an update on the implementation of the BINUH mandate. II. Political issues and good governance (benchmark 1) 2. The reporting period was marked by two watershed events: the assassination of the President, Jovenel Moïse on 7 July, and an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 that struck south-western Haiti on 14 August, killing more than 2,240 people and injuring some 12,700 others. Both events contributed to further heightening uncertainties over the country’s stability and political trajectory and caused additional delays in the overdue polls. On 19 August, my Deputy Secretary-General, accompanied by the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme made a two-day visit to express the solidarity and support of the United Nations to Haiti. They visited affected communities and held discussions with the Government, the Civil Protection Directorate and civil society leaders. 3. In the early hours of 7 July, the country awoke to the shocking news that President Moïse had been assassinated in an attack on his private residence in Pétionville (West Department) in which the First Lady was gravely injured. In the immediate aftermath of the assassination, the caretaker Cabinet, headed by the interim Prime Minister, Claude Joseph, invoked article 149 of the amended Constitution to decree a series of security measures, including a 15-day state of emergency which conferred on the Government the authority to mobilize the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti to conduct home searches and arrests, and to restrict access in and out of the country – including by conducting security checks on the roads and ordering the temporary closure of international airports. The population of Port-au-Prince largely sheltered in place in the ensuing 48 hours and the overall security situation in the country remained calm. However, during the State funeral on 23 July in Cap-Haïtien (North Department), protesters demanding justice for the late 21-12899 (E) 300921 *2112899* S/2021/828 President blocked several main roads and looted private businesses as the police worked to restore public order. 4. To date, 44 suspects, including 20 Haitian police officers and several foreign nationals, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the assassination, as other individuals are wanted for questioning. Even though several investigations were promptly launched, and assistance from international partners was provided, the circumstances of President Moïse’s violent death remain unclear, and progress is further complicated by the alleged transnational dimension of the crime. As a result, speculation abounds over who financed and masterminded the assassination. 5. The assassination further aggravated the institutional vacuum in Haiti as – following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19)-related death of the President of the Court of Cassation in June – the country’s three branches of power are now dysfunctional. Nevertheless, the uncertainty as to the executive leadership caused by the initial differences between the interim Prime Minister Claude Joseph and the Prime Minister-designate Ariel Henry, whom the President had appointed some 24 hours before his death but not yet installed, rapidly abated. Prime Minister Henry and his 18-member Cabinet took office on 20 July, with Mr. Joseph retaining his post as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Religion. In this context, my Special Representative and her team, in coordination with the Organization of American States and other national and international actors, have continued to engage political parties and civil society leaders to encourage dialogue among key stakeholders in order that differences be set aside and the necessary consensus on the way forward be forged. 6. Since taking office, Prime Minister Henry has expressed his desire to reach a political agreement, using an inclusive and consensual approach to create conditions for holding national elections. On 11 September, over 150 political parties and civil society organizations, including former opposition and ruling coalition groups, reached an agreement with the Prime Minister on the governance arrangements for the period leading up to elections, to be organized no later than the end of 2022. The agreement provides for a Prime Minister-led executive branch, a reconstituted Cabinet and a new Provisional Electoral Council, as well as a Constituent Assembly to finalize a draft constitution to be submitted to referendum for “ratification”. Notably, a 33-member oversight body, inclusive of the 10 remaining senators, would be given authority to block government decrees with a two-thirds majority. The agreement also identifies priority areas for Government action with a focus on security, justice and the economy. 7. At the same time, some national stakeholders, including the Civil Society Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis, reiterated their preference for a provisional president and a Prime Minister to lead the Executive and called for a longer political transition during which extensive governance and security reforms would be undertaken. 8. The Prime Minister has continued to pursue intense outreach efforts to broaden adhesion to the agreement, including by engaging with the Commission for a Haitian Solution to the Crisis. These discussions are taking place amid a political rupture between the Prime Minister and some senior officials from the late President’s administration, who have been critical of the assassination investigation. 9. Given that the political process had yet to fully ripen, Prime Minister Henry dismissed as untenable the revised electoral calendars published by the Provisional Electoral Council during the summer. Likewise, upon receiving on 8 September a third version of the draft constitution from the Independent Consultative Committee created by President Moïse, the Prime Minister indicated that a proposed Constituent Assembly would review the document and produce a final text. 2/26 21-12899 S/2021/828 10. Meanwhile, a new electoral decree was published on 5 July. While most of the provisions of the 2015 decree, which governed the organization of the 2015–2017 electoral cycle, have been retained, some aspects – such as strengthening women’s participation through binding measures and financial incentives to increase the number of female candidates – have been improved. 11. The lack of consensus around the referendum, the earthquake, the Electoral Council’s contested legitimacy and the intention of Government to change the electoral council once a political agreement is reached, continued to hamper progress in preparing for the polls. In mid-June, anti-referendum protests disrupted electoral officer training sessions in Fort Liberté (North-East Department) and Jacmel (South- East Department). In addition, the electoral council has not yet completed the recruitment of poll workers. In the aftermath of the 14 August earthquake, the Council suspended electoral activities pending an evaluation of infrastructural and material damage in the affected areas. Initial assessments indicate serious damage to some commune-level electoral offices and scores of public buildings which the Council intended to use as voting centres. 12. In the light of the likely additional delays in the electoral calendar, the registration window is expected to be reopened. As at 30 August, more than 5 million Haitians of voting age had registered for the new identity card, which also serves as a voter card, with women making up 52.7 per cent of the new voter registry. The trend of higher female registration is consistent across the 10 Departments and within the United States of America-based diaspora. Lastly, on 19 July, the Government disbursed an additional $6.5 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-managed basket fund for elections, bringing its total contribution to $39.8 million, of which $12.4 million has been disbursed to facilitate the organization of the earlier-planned constitutional referendum. 13. Despite the uncertainty over when elections will be held, the joint electoral security cell coordinated by the National Police continued to hold weekly meetings with the electoral council, the United Nations and other national and international partners. Owing to the expected delays stemming from the changes likely in the electoral council and post-earthquake adjustments, the integrated national election security plan and the cell’s election security budget will be further revised. 14. In parallel, international partners are supporting the police in upgrading its risk assessment of the 1,534 polling centres and the logistics hubs where electoral materials and assets are stored. Moreover, as part of a $1.5 million Peacebuilding Fund project, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women) and UNDP helped bring together representatives from civil society organizations, political parties and the Provisional Electoral Council to develop an electoral violence prevention and deterrence strategy. Lastly, the recruitment and training of the 7,000 temporary election security officers has been postponed pending a confirmed election date. III. Community violence reduction (benchmark 2) 15. Gang violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area continued despite a short respite between the President’s assassination and his State funeral on 23 July. Since early June, the resurgence of inter-gang turf wars and shifting alliances have caused the displacement of some 19,000 people in the communes of Carrefour, Cité Soleil, Croix-des-Bouquets, Delmas and the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Martissant (West Department). The deadly clashes have also resulted in a restriction of road access to the four southern departments – triggering shortages in essential goods such as fuel and further crippling economic activities. On 2 August, Doctors Without 21-12899 3/26 S/2021/828 Borders was forced to close and relocate its hospital in Martissant, a facility which had been operating for 15 years, owing to continuous aggression by armed gangs. In addition, from 1 to 6 June, gangs ransacked six police stations in Martissant, Cité Soleil, La Saline and downtown Port-au-Prince, brutally killing four police officers and injuring one. Following the 14 August earthquake, the National Commission for Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration facilitated temporary arrangements with gangs to allow for the safe passage of humanitarian convoys to the affected regions. The National Police also implemented additional measures to secure the movement and distribution of relief assistance. 16. The increasing inter-gang violence in the southern parts of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area contributed to the West Department continuing to account for some 75 per cent of major crime and civil unrest incidents from May to August 2021. With 549 instances reported, the number of intentional homicides increased by some 5 per cent as compared with the previous period. Similarly, the number of kidnappings continue to rise in 2021, with 328 victims reported to the police in the first eight months of 2021 compared with 234 for all of 2020. The increased level of criminal gang activities contrasts with a reduction of civil unrest, with a total of 218 mostly violent episodes recorded from May to August. This represents a 55 per cent decrease from the previous period (486) during a time marked by the assassination of the President and the 14 August earthquake. Instances of gender-based violence recorded by the national health system, which are still underreported, declined by 25 per cent from May to August as compared with the previous quarter, while the police registered a 25.6 per cent decrease in rapes, from 39 to 29, during the same period. The closure of the Doctors Without Border hospital in Martissant, the absence of State presence in gang-affected areas and the 14 August earthquake have had a direct negative impact on the reporting of gender-based violence in Haiti. 17. In an effort to restore public order, the Superior Council of the National Police, headed by Prime Minister Henry, has committed to strengthening the operational capacity of the police, including through the provision of additional equipment. In the meantime, the national police has re-established a partial presence in Martissant, and intermittent traffic along Route Nationale 2, which connects the capital to the South. Following the late President’s request on 16 March for additional United Nations assistance in the face of mounting gang-related crime and violence, a team of police experts deployed from May to July by the Secretariat, in the aftermath of the attack on the national police in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Village de Dieu in March, recommended that an intelligence-led policing approach be adopted, one that aligns law enforcement with community violence reduction and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration measures. 18. With the endorsement by then Prime Minister Joseph of the three-year national strategy for community violence reduction on 5 July, the interministerial task force on community violence reduction has now turned its attention to developing an implementation plan outlining the strategy’s coordination, operational and legal support needs. During a meeting on 10 August, Prime Minister Henry and my Special Representative discussed the way forward and the support that BINUH would continue to provide to the task force in order to ensure the full implementation of the strategy. 19. Progress continued in the implementation of Peacebuilding Fund projects on community violence reduction and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, including capacity-building for the National Commission. Despite delays, a community violence reduction project aimed at fostering socioeconomic development in gang-affected areas was rolled out in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of La Saline. To date, 13 community-based platforms, comprising 141 members (78 men and 63 women), have been identified and assessed, with the goal of strengthening 4/26 21-12899 S/2021/828 their role in reducing community violence. In addition, potential beneficiaries have been identified to either receive vocational training or take part in a series of planned income-generating projects, of which seven have been approved. The aim of the projects is to improve infrastructure in the targeted areas while offering much-needed work opportunities in these vulnerable neighbourhoods. 20. Meanwhile, the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration project has continued to support the Government’s efforts to develop a framework on weapons and ammunition management that complies with international standards. A workshop took place from 8 to 10 August during which 25 police officers (23 men and 2 women), were trained in the registration and control of weapons and ammunition. In addition, the interministerial task force on weapons and ammunition management finalized its revision of the draft weapons and ammunitions law, with technical assistance from the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. Aligned with regional and international instruments, the text now provides a comprehensive framework on weapons and ammunition management for Haiti. 21. Following the completion of the UNDP-managed project, the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America will continue to provide technical assistance to the Government in finalizing the weapons law, including a planned baseline assessment to inform the drafting and implementation of a national action plan in line with the Roadmap for Implementing the Caribbean Priority Actions on the Illicit Proliferation of Firearms and Ammunition across the Caribbean in a Sustainable Manner by 2030, developed by the Caribbean Community. Despite the postponement of the mission owing to uncertainty in the aftermath of the President’s assassination, BINUH has continued to facilitate the implementation of the Institute-assisted baseline assessment in Haiti. To expedite the process, the Institute is exploring virtual working sessions with the newly nominated Government focal point. IV. Security and the rule of law (benchmark 3) 22. Amid leaks related to the investigation into the assassination of President Moïse, and concerns expressed by the Office of the Ombudsperson over both its integrity and seeming lack of due process, the dean of the Port-au-Prince Court of First Instance appointed an investigating judge on 23 August to continue the probe initiated by the Central Directorate of the Judicial Police. Despite unanimous calls from across the political spectrum for the case to be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted, public confidence in the judicial system is low and allegations of politicization have cast doubts over the integrity of the process. 23. The decision in mid-September by the acting Public Prosecutor of Port-au- Prince to first invite the Prime Minister to his office for questioning and then request that he be banned from leaving the country, prompted by the release of telephone records from the night of the late President’s death, has raised further concerns. Judicial actors have questioned the prosecutor’s actions, which, taken in the midst of an ongoing investigation, are deemed to contravene the Haitian Code of Criminal Procedure. Citing “serious administrative oversights”, the Prime Minister replaced the acting Public Prosecutor on 14 September amid disagreements with the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Rockefeller Vincent. Shortly thereafter, the Council of Ministers approved an executive order naming the current Minister of the Interior, Liszt Quitel, as Minister of Justice and Public Security ad interim. 24. Against this backdrop, various national stakeholders – including the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Religion in a letter dated 3 August – requested the United 21-12899 5/26 S/2021/828 Nations to support the ongoing investigation. Meanwhile, several human rights and civil society groups have called on the Government to broaden the request for international investigative assistance to include the probe into the assassination of Monferrier Dorval, the former head of the Port-au-Prince Bar Association, assassinated in August 2020 and other emblematic cases. 25. The General Inspectorate and the Judicial Police of the Haitian National Police have respectively launched separate administrative and criminal investigations into the troubling lapses in the President’s security apparatus. Dozens of police officers have been interviewed in connection with the investigation of the assassination. As a result, 30 rank-and-file officers and 4 heads of units assigned to the presidential security, including President Moïse’s chief security officer and the head of the General Security Unit of the National Palace, have been suspended, with 20 currently under arrest and some provisionally replaced in their substantive positions. The timely conclusion of these investigations should help clarify the circumstances of the assassination and expose security shortcomings, which will be remedied through an ongoing review of the dedicated presidential security units. 26. Against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, the 14 August earthquake further stretched the capacity of the national police, which was called upon to secure access for humanitarian assistance convoys and provide additional security in the earthquake-affected areas while continuing to fight gang activity and investigate the assassination of President Moïse. The mounting demands on the police are taxing the relatively small force, which continues to contend with hazardous and poor working conditions. This is resulting in increased absenteeism and attrition of the force. During the first eight months of 2021, 36 police officers were killed. As at 3 September, the Haitian National Police stood at 14,881 officers, including 1,580 women (10.6 per cent), 77 officers fewer than in my previous report, while 633 recruits, including 133 women (21 per cent), are scheduled to complete their basic training in December. 27. Recognizing these challenges, the national police leadership outlined several urgent priorities that require the support of international partners – particularly with regard to operational planning, community policing, tactical interventions in urban areas and the upgrading of its information technology infrastructure. In addition to a grant administered by UNDP for a $200,000 project to enhance training and operational support to the police, long-term contributors to police development in Haiti remain engaged. In addition to the ongoing efforts of the Bureau of International Narcotic and Law Enforcement Affairs to build national police anti-kidnapping investigative capacity, a $3.5 million project to assist the police with the development and implementation of a 24-month community-based anti-gang strategy, a $1 million project to rehabilitate prisons and a nearly $1.5 million project to support specialized police units, the United States has further increased its assistance in response to the 14 August earthquake through the provision of additional logistical support, including the urgent provision of medical equipment for prisons, non-lethal personnel protection equipment, vehicles and generators. In addition, following the sunsetting of a project which oversaw the creation of the National Police Academy, as well as its competency- based training for mid-level and senior police managers, Canada will begin implementation of an almost $10 million gender-sensitive project to fight corruption and impunity while improving police management practices. Canada is also funding an 18-month $2.5 million project to promote the integration and retention of women through the strengthening of the teaching methods at the Police Academy. 28. The situation of the judiciary has deteriorated further owing to the failure to formally appoint the newly elected members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary by 3 July. Several magistrates’ associations have expressed concern over the emerging institutional vacuum following the death of the head of the Court of Cassation in June and the assassination of President Moïse, noting the risk of a complete paralysis of 6/26 21-12899 S/2021/828 the judiciary, as the new members of the Superior Council were to be formally appointed by a presidential decree and subsequently take their oath of office. 29. In spite of this situation, efforts towards justice reform continued. Through a series of consultations held on 14 June and 1 July, the Minister of Justice and Public Security relaunched efforts to establish the technical committee expected to engage national stakeholders and judicial actors on the penal and criminal procedural codes in order to facilitate their entry into force in June 2022. The committee will now have to review, disseminate and train judicial professionals on the two codes. 30. In the meantime, measures introduced to reduce pretrial detention have yet to yield results, and hearings have yet to resume in most jurisdictions. A steering committee against prolonged pretrial detention was created on 22 June. Together with the establishment of coordination forums of justice actors in the 18 jurisdictions of Haiti, it will play a critical role in fostering cooperation and information exchange among judicial stakeholders to fast-track the holding of judicial hearings to reduce pretrial detention. 31. On 22 August, the Ministry of Justice announced the relocation of the Port-au- Prince Tribunal from its current site near the gang-controlled neighbourhood of Bicentenaire. The decision followed more than two years of advocacy by civil society organizations to enable hearings to be held in a safer location in the capital. Together with the revitalization of the coordination forum of justice actors in Port-au-Prince, the relocation of the capital’s tribunal could allow judicial actors to resume their work and contribute to reducing pretrial detention in the national penitentiary, the country’s most populous prison. 32. Currently, the pretrial detention rate in Haiti remains among the highest in the world and continues to exacerbate overcrowding in its prisons. As at 1 September, 11,253 individuals were in detention in the country, including 409 women, 232 boys and 26 girls, of whom 9,216 (82 per cent) were awaiting trial. 33. Several instances of unrest were recorded in prisons across Haiti following the President’s assassination and the 14 August earthquake. Attempted mutinies were reported in Port-de-Paix (North-West Department), Hinche and Mirebalais (Centre Department), and Petit-Goâve (West Department) on 7 and 8 July. Attempted prison breaks were noted in Anse-à-Veau (Nippes Department), Jacmel (South-East Department), Jérémie (Grand’Anse Department) and Les Cayes (South Department) following the earthquake. In most instances, the national police quickly brought the situation under control. However, an attempted prison break in Mirebalais resulted in the deaths of three inmates and one prison officer. During the incident, four inmates and one prison officer were injured, while one female detainee was raped. In addition, 28 prisoners are reported to have escaped from the Jérémie and Les Cayes prisons on 15 August. Two weeks later, on 1 September, 11 inmates escaped from the Petit-Goâve prison. In the ensuing days, four were killed and five re-arrested by the police. 34. Despite three Prisons Administration Directors having been replaced since the 25 February prison break at the Croix-des-Bouquet penitentiary, prison security remains a challenge owing to several factors, including substantive underfunding, chronic overcrowding, deplorable detention conditions, dilapidated infrastructure, weak management and staffing shortages. In an effort to improve prison conditions, national authorities, with the assistance of the United Nations and other international partners, are developing a resource mobilization plan to implement six priority actions derived from the recommendations outlined in the joint report by BINUH and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) of 30 June on detention conditions in Haitian prisons. In parallel, the European Union has already launched two 24-month projects of approximately €445,000 each to support the Prison Administration Directorate in improving conditions for women and juvenile inmates. 21-12899 7/26 S/2021/828 V. Human rights (benchmark 4) 35. The human rights situation has continued to deteriorate. Much of the degradation was the result of an increase in gang violence in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, and especially in the Martissant neighbourhood and the Cité Soleil municipality, where numerous clashes between gangs, together with attacks on civilian populations, have led to the displacement of some 19,000 people since 1 June. In addition, no effective action has been taken to ensure accountability in emblematic cases, which include several massacres and the high-profile cases of Monferrier Dorval and Emmanuel Constant, alias “Toto”. 36. The raids launched by gangs terrorized entire communities and deprived residents of their dwellings and economic and social rights. The mission documented that gangs set fire to at least 43 residences in Martissant, as well as to a dozen houses in Cité Soleil. Students from Martissant were unable to finish the school year because of the forced closure of schools owing to violence. On 5 July, an ambulance delivering medicine to the Grand-Goâve (West Department) health centre was attacked, resulting in the death of one nurse. Random attacks on Route Nationale 2 led to the deaths of at least 9 people and to injuries to at least 18 others in July and August. In addition, the destruction by fire of the capital’s Toussaint Brave and La Piste displacement sites, which hosted people displaced by the 2010 earthquake, has left an additional 1,870 individuals without shelter. 37. The reporting period was also characterized by a further curbing of civic space as several journalists, human rights defenders, political activists and other citizens were either targeted because of their professional or civic activities or simply caught in the crossfire of inter-gang violence. In addition to the assassination of President Moïse, Antoinette Duclaire, a political activist, and Diego Charles, a journalist, were killed. Overall, a total of 20 human rights defenders, journalists and justice operators (15 men and 5 women) were attacked, threatened or intimidated from 1 June to 31 August, representing a sharp increase from the 6 instances documented by BINUH from 1 March to 31 May. 38. Even if the vast majority of threats to human rights defenders and journalists are attributed to gang members, authorities have, to date, failed to adopt adequate measures to ensure the safety of citizens. As a result, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council have, twice in 2021 to date, expressed concerns regarding the security situation in the country and the impunity with which gangs act to intimidate human rights defenders. 39. The President’s assassination gave rise to a series of threats against public officials and the media. Two court clerks and one justice of the peace reported having received death threats in an attempt to coerce them to modify official records related to the assassination investigation. In addition, a media outlet and journalists perceived to have been critical of the late President were physically and verbally attacked in the days that followed his killing. Such threats endanger democratic life in Haiti and pose serious threats to the rule of law and to fundamental rights. 40. Impunity in the emblematic cases of Grand Ravine (2017), La Saline (2018) and Bel-Air (2019) continued, as authorities did not take steps to support these investigations. Inexplicable delays in deciding on an application, submitted on 11 September 2019, for the recusal of the investigative judge in charge of the La Saline case continued to contribute to the lack of progress in that case. Meanwhile, Jimmy Cherizier, alias “Barbecue”, the leader of the “G9” gang alliance and a prime suspect in both the La Saline and Bel-Air killings, continues to evade justice despite frequently appearing in public and inciting his followers to violence, as recently witnessed in the Port-au-Prince neighbourhood of Pont-Rouge on 26 July. 8/26 21-12899 S/2021/828 41. Likewise, little significant progress was made in the investigation of the murder in August 2020 of former Port-au-Prince Bar Association President, Monferrier Dorval, as the public prosecutor did not facilitate interviews with individuals requested by the investigative judge, who subsequently resigned in September. Also, the second trial of Emmanuel “Toto” Constant, who was found guilty in absentia in 2000 for his involvement in the 1994 Raboteau massacre, is still pending, as the Gonaïves public prosecutor did not include his case in the trials organized in August. Constant has been in detention in the Artibonite Department since his deportation from the United States in June 2020. 42. Despite the granting on 22 May by the United States of temporary protected status to Haitian nationals for an additional 18 months and the temporary closure of the border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic from 7 to 15 July, the reporting period saw an increase in the number of individuals deported to Haiti, with 8,015 deportees (6,940 men, 857 women, 178 boys and 40 girls) between 1 May and 31 August, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The 14 August earthquake has caused an increase in international migration, with several Florida-bound boats departing the southern regions of Haiti. Meanwhile, on 18 September, United States authorities launched an operation to repatriate some 14,000 Haitian migrants gathered in Del Rio, Texas. An average 400 people are expected to be returned to Haiti every day over the course of the coming months. Upon arrival, migrants receive assistance from the National Migration Office in the form of cash, food and hygiene kits. These distributions are supported by IOM. 43. In the context of a project funded by European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, OHCHR and IOM, representatives from these agencies gathered from 11 to 14 June in Ouanaminthe (North-East Department) to meet organizations supporting Haitian migrants and collect information about alleged human rights violations and the responses from State and civil society organizations. On 1 July, the Minister for Social Affairs and Labour validated the standard operating procedures for the identification of and support for victims of trafficking in persons, an important step forward in the fight against human trafficking. 44. With the support of OHCHR and France and, a coalition of 33 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) submitted a report on 9 July examining the human rights record of Haiti under the universal periodic review, for which the next review of the country is scheduled for early 2022. The United Nations in Haiti also submitted a compilation of information for the universal periodic review and encouraged the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religion to submit the national report before 11 October. Lastly, despite its endorsement by the Committee, the national action plan on human rights for the 2019–2021 period is still awaiting approval by the executive. The ratification by Haiti of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, both accepted by Haiti in the context of the universal periodic review, is also still pending. 45. Meanwhile, OHCHR continued to engage national authorities on the issue of establishing a country office to support national efforts to address long-standing human rights issues and strengthen civic space. VI. Unemployment, youth and vulnerable groups (benchmark 5) 46. The World Bank forecasts that, as a result of the cumulative impact of multiple crises since 2018, 60 per cent of the population of Haiti will be at or below the poverty line in 2021. While official figures show that year-on-year inflation is decreasing, the 21-12899 9/26 S/2021/828 poorest households and groups continue to be adversely affected by the depreciation of the Haitian gourde against the United States dollar. 47. During the reporting period, Haitians also experienced frequent fuel shortages and increased prices for basic food items. The country’s deteriorating socioeconomic situation contributed to a 41 per cent increase in Government expenditure from October 2020 to June 2021. 48. Despite the country’s severe budgetary constraints, there has been little progress in tackling loss of fiscal revenue that results from illicit transfer of funds to accounts outside of the country. The extent of financial leakages due to money laundering is such that, in its report of June 2021, the Financial Action Task Force placed Haiti on the list of countries under increased monitoring. To address the country’s development financing constraints, the United Nations country team supported the Government’s launching of a process towards establishing an integrated national financing framework. The initiative includes efforts to identify innovative financing mechanisms across the public and private sectors. 49. As part of a new United Nations approach in Haiti aimed at moving away from project approaches to support the institutionalization of integrated public policies, the United Nations country team, based on the comparative advantages of relevant agencies, is focusing its efforts on key policies. For example, a team of experts from seven resident and non-resident United Nations entities was formed to support, under the overall leadership of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, the Government task Force on the operationalization of the national policy for social protection and social progress. The aim is to promote and expand social protection to reduce economic, social and institutional inequalities and injustice, even in the face of persistent multidimensional crises and limited national systems. 50. On social protection, the United Nations country team also continues to support the Government in the establishment of a national vulnerability registry, the extension of the existing database (which currently covers only 25 per cent of the country), the translation of policies into effective programmatic initiatives and resource mobilization. Lastly, the World Bank allocated $75 million to the Adaptive Social Protection for Increased Resilience (ASPIRE) national social assistance programme, which aims to alleviate poverty and inequality while paving the way for long-term protection against hunger during the 2021–2027 period. Following the same approach, a similar process has been initiated to support the operationalization of the national policy for food sovereignty, food security and nutrition. Relevant United Nations agencies are mobilizing expertise to support government efforts, under the overall coordination of the National Commission for Food Security. These efforts are directly contributing to greater coherence across humanitarian and development activities and their linkages to peace, by contributing to the reduction of risks, vulnerabilities and humanitarian needs. 51. Discussions between the Government, the United Nations and development partners on approaches to enhance development effectiveness and impact and revitalize existing aid coordination frameworks have made progress. The development partners coordination group (Groupe de concertation des Chefs de mission), chaired by my Deputy Special Representative and Resident Coordinator, agreed to reorient development assistance priorities and focus on some of the intractable obstacles to the development of Haiti, including issues related to impunity, corruption and the transformation and modernization of the economy to further advance inclusion. The group also agreed to prioritize support for national efforts regarding integrated national planning and the institutionalization of public policies to ensure a better alignment between national priorities and development support. In order to align development assistance to national priorities and increase impact, the 10/26 21-12899 S/2021/828 Government and development partners agreed on the critical importance of revitalizing the dormant Aid Effectiveness Committee, which is scheduled to meet during the last quarter of the year. VII. Basic social service delivery and resilience (benchmark 6) 52. The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that hit the southern peninsula of Haiti on 14 August severely affected the Grand-Anse, Nippes and South departments, with the city of Les Cayes and surrounding rural, hard-to-reach areas being the most affected. The earthquake was followed by a series of some 1,000 aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from 4.2 to 5.2, all at depths of around 10 km, creating significant concerns as buildings and infrastructures already compromised by the initial tremor are vulnerable to even weak aftershocks. 53. Even though it proved less catastrophic than the 2010 earthquake, the impact of the 14 August earthquake has been devastating. At least 2,248 people have been reported dead, over 12,763 injured, and over 137,000 houses damaged or completely destroyed. In addition, it is estimated that 53 health facilities were damaged and 6 were destroyed, while 308 schools were heavily damaged or destroyed, delaying the start of the school year by several weeks and affecting 100,000 children and teachers. Fifty-three water supply pipe systems are severely damaged. In total, over 800,000 people have been affected and 650,000, including 260,000 children, are in need of humanitarian assistance. Just two days after the earthquake, on 17 August, Tropical Storm Grace dumped extremely heavy rains in the south-western parts of the country, adding to the plight of the victims and briefly impeding search and rescue operations. 54. Through the Civil Protection Directorate, the Government of Haiti is exerting strong leadership in leading and coordinating the response of line ministries and humanitarian partners, under the overall leadership of Prime Minister Henry. The United Nations and partners’ collaboration and multidimensional support for the Directorate over many years has shown to have improved readiness to prepare for and respond to emergencies, thus illustrating the transformative potential of sustained, consistent investment in targeted national capacities. 55. The Government and partners have mobilized rapid response teams and established coordination sub-offices in the most affected departments to carry out search and rescue operations, deliver food assistance and medical supplies and clear roads, as well as bridges damaged by the earthquake. They are assisted in these endeavours by international rapid response teams, including the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination, the World Health Organization (WHO) Emergency Medical Team Coordination Cell, a European Union civil protection team, a United States disaster assistance response team and the support from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 56. On 24 August, the humanitarian community, under the leadership of the Government of Haiti, launched a $187.3 million flash appeal, the funding of which is urgently needed to provide vital relief assistance to 500,000 of the most vulnerable people identified as being in need of assistance in the affected areas. The appeal, which prioritizes shelter, water and sanitation, emergency health care, education, food, protection and early recovery support, reflects both the scale of the needs and the significant logistical challenges linked to providing an effective large-scale humanitarian response in hard-to-reach areas. Although a limited number of spontaneous displacement sites have been formed, the Government is advocating for the construction of semi-temporary housing near the living quarters of homeless families. 21-12899 11/26 S/2021/828 57. In parallel to the relief effort, and in order to quickly move towards recovery and reconstruction, the Government launched, on 23 August, the process for the evaluation of the post-earthquake reconstruction needs, the results of which will provide the basis for the development of a reconstruction framework. In this context, the Government has requested the activation of the tripartite global agreement between the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union for post-crisis assessment and recovery planning. The process has been placed under the overall leadership of the Prime Minister’s Office and the steering of the Ministry of Planning and External Cooperation. It will be supported by the three institutions, together with other partners, such as the Inter-American Development Bank. 58. Overall, development deficits in Haiti continue to fuel humanitarian needs and instability. Moving away from emergency aid towards longer-term sustainable development and stability remains a priority for the United Nations in country, with the aim of reducing vulnerabilities, risks and humanitarian needs while strengthening community resilience. Political turmoil, the surge in gang violence, deteriorating socioeconomic conditions – including food insecurity and malnutrition – all contribute to the worsening of the humanitarian situation. Despite increasing needs, funding shortfalls remain a challenge, with the total humanitarian funding at only $71 million (30 per cent of the $235.6 million requirement in the humanitarian response plan). Meanwhile, food insecurity remains a key concern, with 4.4 million Haitians – nearly 40 per cent of the population – facing high acute food insecurity, including 1.1 million classified in the emergency and 3.1 million in the crisis phases. Furthermore, 217,000 children are suffering from severe and moderate acute malnutrition, predominantly in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area (West Department). Acute malnutrition in children under 5 years old increased by 61 per cent in 2021 in Haiti. 59. In recent months, the persistent gang violence in Port-au-Prince has affected 1.5 million people, 1.1 million of whom are in need of assistance, and caused the displacement of thousands of people. Almost 8,000 live in difficult conditions on organized and spontaneous sites, while the rest have found other lodging solutions. Protection remains a major concern in the sites for internally displaced persons, where cases of gender-based and physical violence have been reported. A government-led task force, supported by the United Nations and humanitarian partners, has developed a joint relocation strategy. A Central Emergency Response Fund allocation will support the rehousing of some of the displaced while ensuring their minimum standards of services in the interim. Humanitarian partners are assisting the affected population through the provision of meals and access to safe water, sanitation facilities and critical hygiene kits, as well as schooling, psychosocial support, basic protection services and treatment for malnutrition, among other activities. 60. As evidenced by the 14 August earthquake, Haiti continues to be highly vulnerable to natural hazards, although such events only become disasters when measures to reduce their impacts are not put in place. This earthquake is a vibrant reminder of the need for Haiti to prioritize, over the long term, disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. To improve disaster risk management and crisis response, the Government, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme, is finalizing its 2021–2030 environmental action plan, which is expected to promote accelerated mainstreaming of environment into resilient and sustainable development. The institutionalization of the national risk and disaster management system and plan is another priority for coordinated United Nations support. To further its implementation and better inform planning, as well as response efforts at the national and local levels, the United Nations country team supported the creation of a georeferenced disaster response database, thereby providing the country with detailed multi-risk maps and the capacities to update them. 12/26 21-12899 S/2021/828 61. The third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic peaked in late June and is now subsiding in the country. As at 18 September, official figures stand at 21,244 confirmed cases, including 596 deaths. The United Nations and other partners continue to support the Government response, in line with WHO guidelines. Hence, the country team supported the provision of medical kits and equipment to treatment centres, the donation of electric generators to run oxygen plants, the distribution of oxygen cylinders, the payment of salary premiums to Ministry of Public Health and Population personnel involved in the response and the acquisition of medicalized ambulances and testing equipment. Moreover, following the decision of authorities to close schools on 11 June because of the rapid rise in cases, the World Food Programme (WFP) switched its school feeding activities to the distribution of take-home rations. 62. Vaccination against COVID-19 began in Haiti in July, following the reception of 500,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine donated by the United States through the COVAX initiative. As at 15 September, 37,934 persons, mainly health workers and adults with comorbidities, had received at least one vaccination dose, of whom 15,685 are fully vaccinated. As a percepti